NICU nurses.. i have a question!

[sweetiez]

Hi. My plan is to become an NICU nurse. i LOVE babies. i think this part of nursing i would love the most.

My question is how do u get the NICU trainning. i know you have to do the 4 years of college thats normal. Do they have a certian degree for a NICU nurse?

Any advice would be great!

As you can tell im new .

[hikernurse]

I got a new grad job in the NICU. They have several weeks of classroom training, plus working with a preceptor. I am starting as a graduate nurse, but will be taking the NCLEX in a few weeks.

[cherokeesummer]

I have accepted a job in a level 4 NICU in the area. I was offered the job and I have not graduated yet but they have an extensive orientation program. I am planning on taking the NCLEX in August and I start the job in September!

[qaqueen]

My hospital hires new grads and puts them through NICU training. I suspect there are many hospitals that do the same thing. The other thing is, a 4 year degree is not required. You can be hired with an ADN degree.

Loving babies is a definite plus, if you have not graduated yet, I suggest you look into an externship.

Are you prepared to deal with a 680 gram baby? NICU is a wonderful department to work in, but it can be heartbreaking.

Best of Luck

[sweetiez]

Yeah i forgot about the ADN degree!.

My daughter was in the NICU for a month.so i seen alot of what they do.And i knew i wanted to do that too.

Im a lil nervous putting tubes in their nose in stuff but im sure the trainning is wonderful.

It can be heart breaking. when my daughter was in there. there was a 1 lb baby that had to be rushed to another hospital. I just said i pray that baby lives .

[GoldenEagleRN]

I graduated from a BSN program in May and start July 2nd as a new grad in a Level III NICU. I knew I wanted to work in the NICU even before I started nursing school. You do not need a special degree for the NICU, just completion of a nursing program. My advice would be to do an ADN or BSN program and do an externship in a NICU your last year. It was an awesome experience for me and really gave me confidence, experience, and a wide open door for a nursing job upon graduation. Good luck!!!

[medchick]

I work on a level III NICU and I have a BSN. More than half of the nurses I work with have ADN and that includes my shift charge nurse. Good luck to you.

[ccnicurn]

you can either do as GoldenEagleRN suggested, or if your college/hospital doesnt have an externship program, you can work as a PCA in a NICU while finishing your nursing degree. Thats what I did, and I felt I was able to gain great exposure and experience by being in the unit. Once I graduated and had my RN, there was lots to learn, but I felt comfortable with the equipment and the patient population because I had gotten to work with them as a PCA. Good Luck!